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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. press — to push
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stock — shares
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. kick — in football
  13. row — to paddle
  14. content — the amount
  15. stock — goods
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. row — a line
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. press — a publisher
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. content — happy
  24. deal — an agreement

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com